Inside the Maze
by dark in the shadow of my heart
Summary: The Battle of Hogwarts is over, but the dangers are not. The survivors who fought Voldemort wake up in a maze, held captive and overseen by remaining Death Eaters, who have not yet given up on their defeated master. D/G-centric, compliant with DH up to Voldemort's death.


**A/N: This is my latest fanfiction yay! Basically it's an AU post-Battle of Hogwarts fic, w****hich is D****/G-centric. I'm so excited to be writing again, so please let me know what you think of this! Hope you enjoy.**

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><p>"Welcome to the Maze."<p>

Ginny's eyes flickered open. She was lying on cool, damp ground, and as her pupils focused in the gloom, she saw blank, black walls around her. The growling voice which had woken her seemed to be coming from somewhere above, but the walls stretched up as far as she could see, and the area seemed deserted.

"You survived the Battle of Hogwarts. You defeated the Dark Lord. But those who stood by him will not give up yet. This is our revenge. Run. Run as much as you like, but you play by our rules now."

Blinking slowly as she tried to take this in, Ginny sat up, and began to become aware of her body, where there were dull aches in her left leg and rib. Lifting a hand to her face, she felt a congealed bubble of blood at her lip and the thin ridge of a scar on her cheek. She darted a hand to her jeans pocket and was relieved to grasp the handle of her wand. Feeling a little more reassured, she focused on her current situation. The last thing she recalled was sudden, confusing darkness. They had all been in the Great Hall, gathered around Harry, who had just overthrown Voldemort. Then, the room had been suddenly full of blackness, there were cries and screeches of confusion... And that was it.

So Death Eaters had somehow put her and who knows how many others in... A maze? As revenge for the defeat of their master?

But there was no more time to dwell on this, for a sudden, echoing scream resounded around her and she leapt into action, seizing her wand.

"Out of the frying pan..." She muttered as she launched herself in the direction of the noise.

The maze was light enough to see shapes but dark enough to trick your eyes with imaginary movement in the shadows. With a whisper of "Lumos", Ginny ploughed forwards, trying to ignore the constant prickling feeling of someone right behind her.

She was forcibly reminded of the maze Harry and the three other Triwizard Champions had had to get through during the Third Task of the Tournament. But that had been watched over by Dumbledore, with teachers stationed all around so that help could always be found.

There was something much darker and more ominous about this maze. She doubted very much that Professor Mcgonagall was standing outside the vast walls, looking out for the burst of red sparks in the air that meant someone was in trouble. Ginny supposed everyone would be firing red sparks if they thought it would help. They were all in trouble.

As she burst round a corner, her wand tip illuminated a shape huddled on the floor. At closer inspection, it was revealed to be none other than Romilda Vane, who was quaking silently, her arms wrapped around her knees and her black hair tumbling into her pale, panic-stricken face.

Romilda started when Ginny appeared, and choked a feeble spell which merely caused her wand tip to smoulder slightly before extinguishing.

"Hey, Romilda, it's me," Ginny said softly, for all the world as though she was talking to a wounded animal rather than a sixteen-year-old girl. She had never particularly liked Romilda, especially when she had bombarded her with personal questions about her relationship with Harry during Transfiguration lessons. "What happened? I heard you scream."

"We're - we're trapped, Ginny!" Romilda sobbed, tears leaking out of her large eyes in an almost pantomimic performance. "In a maze! By Death Eaters!"

"Yeah, I got that," said Ginny testily, trying to maintain patience with what was, right now, her only companion. "But why were you screaming?"

"I'm claustrophobic!" Romilda wailed. "Dark, confined spaces! I can't bear it!"

"Ginny?"

Whipping round with a surge of hope, she saw Ron rounding the corner towards them, limping slightly but very much alive and present.

"Ron!" she cried, ignoring the increase in sobs from Romilda as she flung her arms around him.

"Have you seen Harry?" Ron asked immediately, blood beading at his eyebrow, "or Hermione? Or any of the others?"

"Just Romilda Vane, I'm afraid," she replied with an irritated glance at the crying girl.

"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She's claustrophobic, apparently," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes.

"'Apparently'?"

"You know what she's like," Ginny muttered, "can you remember how we got here?"

"I can't remember anything past Harry defeating You-Know-Who," Ron sighed, "and just how everything went dark. I guess we should've known the Death Eaters would have a revenge plan in the event of their worst case scenario."

"You're right," Ginny said, as Romilda sniffed heavily in the background, "we should've known. From now on, we need to think like them. I reckon that's our only hope of getting out of here."

"We'll never get out of here!" Romilda wailed suddenly, "it's over! And I have to die looking like this," she added furiously, tugging at the holes in her robes and wiping the tears, blood and mascara stains from her face.

"Oh, shut up," Ginny snapped, finally losing her temper, "quite frankly I couldn't give two tosses about your appearance or your claustrophobia, so unless you have anything actually useful to say I suggest you keep your mouth shut, otherwise you really will die looking like that because I will curse you into oblivion right this second."

A Romilda Vane at home with her surroundings and wearing a full face of makeup may have had something to shoot back, but this time she stayed silent.

"That was a bit harsh, wasn't it?" Ron muttered, looking between Romilda and Ginny with a mix of surprise, awe and concern.

"I've suffered Transfiguration three years running sat next to her," Ginny said through clenched teeth, "so forgive me if I'm a little snappy."

She turned away from both of them and stowed her wand in her pocket. She was glad to have Ron with her, but at the same time she wasn't - how many more of her loved ones were trapped in this maze at the mercy of the Death Eaters?

"Okay, Romilda, I'm sorry I snapped," she said quickly, facing them again, "but you're gonna have to be brave, for us all to stay alive."

For a moment the girl looked like she might shed more tears, but, to Ginny's relief and gratitude, she gripped her wand and stood shakily instead.

"We need wands out at all times. We have to be on our guard - we don't know what's in here," Ginny added.

"Any ideas?" Ron asked.

"The Death Eaters are capable of anything," Ginny shrugged, "I've watched the Carrows maim and torture innocent eleven-year-olds and laugh about it - I can't say I'm too keen to even find out what's going on in here."

"Let's keep on the move," Ron said decidedly, with a furtive glance at Romilda, who had gone very white.

"Yeah, see if we can find any others."

They set off, Ron taking the lead with Ginny just behind accompanying a very quiet Romilda.

"Wait," said Ron after a while, coming to an abrupt halt. "Can you see that?"

"See what?" Ginny asked, sweeping her wand light all around, but discovering nothing.

"That... Mist..." Ron's tone was soft and scared. "It's black - can't you see it?"

"No..." Ginny said slowly, "can you, Romilda?"

The girl shook her head, her eyes wide and bright in the gloom.

"It's everywhere," Ron said, glancing from side to side as though being gradually trapped. He began to flap his arms frantically, imitating Luna with her Wrackspurts - but this display was much less comical. His face was contorted and he began to cower.

"Ron, there's nothing there," Ginny said, gripping his shoulder, fear dropping into her chest like a cold stone, "Ron? Ron!"

His eyes were closing. His wand clattered to the ground and the light was extinguished.

"Ron! No! Ron!" Ginny looked around wildly at Romilda, but the latter was rooted to the spot, looking terrified. Ron's body began to fall; seizing him around the chest, Ginny lowered him to the ground. "Ron! Wake up!" Fumbling for his wrist, she searched for a pulse. Just as she had almost lost hope, she found it. He was still alive.

"Is he alive?" Romilda asked in a voice scarcely louder than a whisper.

"Yes," Ginny said, casting light on Ron's face. His eyes were screwed shut; his muscles tensed as though in great pain. Even as she watched, he began to thrash around, and cried out a strangled "no!"

"Ron, wake up, it's not real!" Ginny said desperately, shaking his shoulders. "Enervate!" she cried, flicking her wand. But Ron did not wake, instead continuing to convulse and mutter.

"It's Nightmare Vapour. He'll come to naturally in an hour or so."

Starting, Ginny looked up and the light of her wand illuminated the pale, battle-scarred form of Draco Malfoy, who had clearly just rounded the corner and witnessed the scene.

Raising her wand, Ginny narrowed her eyes. "What a surprise for you to know all about it. I'm warning you, I won't go down without a fight. None of us will."

"I was a Death Eater long enough to know some of their methods," Draco said, "and their counter-curses."

"What do you mean, 'was'?" Ginny spat, "you still are! You're a malicious bastard and we will take you and your little Death Eater friends down, I swear on it."

"Weasley, I'm not in league with them!" he said irritably, "do you really think I'd be trapped in here with you lot if I still was?" He took a step nearer, looking down at Ron. "Some people choose to kill themselves when they wake up, you know. Most of them go mad. They live all their worst nightmares again and again under that stuff. As much as I detest your brother, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I can wake him up now and he'll be fine."

Ginny snorted derisively. "I don't think so. I'm not stupid. I know what you're up to, Malfoy."

"Weasley, I'm telling you, this isn't a trick!" Draco snapped. "I woke up here! The last thing I remember is Potter defeating the Dark Lord, and then just darkness. If you don't trust me, your brother will almost certainly never be the same again. I can help."

"If you think," she hissed, jabbing her wand in his face, "I'm going to let you go near my injured brother and perform who-knows-what Dark magic then you have another think coming."

Quick as a flash, Draco slammed into her and knocked her to the ground. There was a stifled scream from Romilda as he pointed his wand at Ron and began muttering an incantation.

"NO!" Ginny screeched, her shoulder searing as she threw herself across the ground to reach her wand.

But, even as she did so, Draco sat back on his heels and Ron's thrashing movements ceased. His body relaxed, and his eyes slowly opened.

"Ron?" Ginny asked tentatively, panting from her position on the ground.

Ron blinked several times, looking terrified. Then, with a long shivering breath, he sat up. "What... What's going on?"

"Ron, you're okay, you're okay!" Ginny beamed, jumping on him and hugging him tightly. "It was all just dreams. You're safe."

"Well, I wouldn't say safe," Draco said cooly behind her, "but for now, at least."

Ginny leaned back from Ron and looked at Malfoy. "Er... Thanks, Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" Ron demanded, eyes widening as he grabbed his wand.

"No, Ron, it's okay, he's on our side," Ginny soothed.

"Took you long enough," Draco said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, I still hate you," Ginny snarled. "Just a little bit less then I did."

"I can deal with that," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"Are you okay to carry on?" Ginny asked, looking concernedly into her brother's face.

He had begun to look slightly dazed again but shook himself at her words. "Yeah, yeah, fine. It was all just dreams, like you said."

Ginny took his hand and helped him to his feet.

"Malfoy, I want you next to me," she instructed as they set off again through the maze.

"Going to keep me in check?" he sneered, but complied anyway.

The maze was icy cold and Ginny was becoming increasingly aware of it as she pulled her ripped jacket tighter around her. "I wonder if they've got Dementors in here."

"Possibly. Probably. Or they're just setting the creepy atmosphe- wait!" Draco flung out his arm to stop Ginny and the others continuing.

"What's-?" Ginny started, but then she saw. Sprawled on the ground, illuminated in the light of their wands, was a body.

Her heart rate quickened. Was it someone she knew? Were they dead?

She watched, hardly daring to breathe as Draco cautiously approached the body. As it became clearer in the light, she saw that it was shivering. Whoever it was, they weren't dead.

With a slight burst of hope, she followed Draco, ignoring Ron as he questioned the disruption.

"It's Parvati Patil," she realised as she took note of the Gryffindor robes and sleek black hair in a long and now rather tousled plait.

Parvati jolted and lifted her head. She had been crying; mascara and tear stains cobwebbed her face, and there was a trickle of dried blood on her chin.

"Parvati, what's wrong?"

"Lavender," whispered Parvati.

"What about her?"

"She's dead," Parvati choked, her teeth chattering with grief and cold. "I saw her body, all - all covered in blood... Harry had killed You-Know-Who and I'd been wondering where she was... I went to find her... And I saw her there, just left on the ground... And now I'm here but it doesn't matter because she's dead." Parvati's words brought a fresh wave of sobs.

"Who's there?"

Ginny, Draco, Ron and Romilda all whipped around, wands raised. None other than the blonde, hooked-nose Hufflepuff Zacharias Smith was standing behind them.

"Oh, hello," he said stiffly, lowering his wand. "Good to see you, Weasley. Is that Parvati Patil?"

Parvati gave a wet hiccup in response.

"Oh dear," said Zacharias with a wrinkled nose, "not the best attitude to have right now."

"Her best friend has just died, show a bit of remorse!" Ginny snarled.

"We could honour them in some way," Draco cut in as Zacharias made to speak, "a memorial to those who died - in the Battle, I mean."

"Oh, and I'm sure you've got some brilliant suggestions," Ginny snapped, rounding on him.

"I do, actually," he said icily and, without preamble, strode to the nearest wall and began moving his wand in rhythmic loops so that red, fiery letters were carved into the stone. He stepped away to reveal "Lavender Brown" flickering on the stone.

Parvati gave a soft cry and traced the name with her finger. The others gathered around and gazed at the magical carving, apparently in both mourning and appreciation. Even Zacharias had the decency to be still and quiet.

"Listen here, pretty boy," Ginny hissed to Draco as a few sobs broke out, "you may have won them over with your fancy cursive, but I'm not going to be so easily manipulated. I still don't trust you, not completely."

"Oh, you think I'm pretty, Weasley?" he said, his voice as cold and hard as stone, "I would be flattered if you weren't so repulsive yourself."

"You want to shut the hell up, Malfoy," she snarled, "or your name will be the next one carved into the wall, and it won't be the Death Eaters that kill you."

"Can we move on now?" Zacharias called over to them, seemingly growing bored by the mournful proceedings around him. "I don't want to be funny here, but we're trying to survive this maze, and I don't think staying in the same place for a prolonged amount of time will help our chances."

"That's the most sensible thing you've said so far, Zacharias," Ginny muttered through gritted teeth, casting a hand through her hair. "Okay, Parvati, I'm so sorry, but we'll have time to properly mourn later on. Right now we need to concentrate on getting out of here alive. Let's go."

She grabbed the arms of the older girl and began to march onwards.

"You seem to have fallen into the leader position quite comfortably," Draco said, catching up with her, "an expectedly Gryffindor move."

"You seem to have fallen into the Biggest Arsehole position quite comfortably - an expectedly Slytherin move," she retorted.

"Get over yourself, Weasley," he said coldly, "I'm on your side."

"So you keep saying," she replied with a roll of her eyes.

"I saved your brother's life, what more do I have to do?"

"It's more what you've already done," said Ginny. "My brother Fred died in the Battle. How do I know you didn't have a hand in it?"

"I didn't kill anyone," said Draco shortly, and without a word turned away from her and joined Zacharias and Romilda.

The ever-growing group continued onwards through the twisting tunnels of the maze - to what, they didn't know. There was little talk: everyone was on guard, their wands raised. Parvati managed to compose herself and put on a brave face, while Ron just looked around anxiously, apparently still slightly disturbed from his brief encounter with the Nightmare Vapour, and desperate to come across his two best friends.

They rounded a corner and came across two figures, but they weren't Harry and Hermione. The rest of the group stopped while Ginny took a step forwards, blinking slowly in disbelief.

"Fred-?" she whispered. It couldn't be. Her dead twin brother and Parvati's dead best friend were stood right there in the flesh, smiling serenely.

"Lavender!" cried Parvati, pushing past Ginny and hurrying to the girl.

"No!" Ginny said quickly, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. "We don't know what's going on yet... This could be a trick..." Her heart was in her mouth as she lifted her wand and illuminated Fred's face. Both he and Lavender looked just as they must have when they died: Fred's face was grimy and he bore signs of injury from the Battle, while Lavender had dried blood caking the side of her neck. Both pairs of eyes were misted over and glassy, but they were very much standing and smiling.

"That's her, I know it is!" Parvati persisted, pushing against Ginny's restraining arm.

"That can't be Fred," Ron said in a hushed voice, coming to stand next to his sister. "It can't be..."

"I don't think we should trust them," Draco said softly over Ginny's shoulder. "I think this is a trap."

"What do you know?" snarled Parvati, rounding on him. "That's Lavender, I know it is! I think I know my best friend when I see her!"

"But, Parvati, it can't be," Ginny said, forcing herself to look away from Fred, "they're dead."

"That's our brother there, Gin," Ron said, taking a few steps forward so he was nearer the silent, grinning Fred.

"But it's not!" Ginny cried. "Look! They're just like statues! Images, puppets! That isn't them, I'm telling you!"

With a sudden outcry, Parvati relinquished herself from Ginny's grasp and flung herself towards Lavender. Quick as a flash, Lavender and her other living dead companion pulled their wands from their pockets.

"RUN!" Ginny screamed. Romilda and Zacharias did not need telling twice: they turned and sped back down the path. But Ron and Parvati were still rooted to the spot. Parvati was gazing at Lavender, tears trickling down her cheeks. Ron was looking up at his brother, breathing heavily and frowning.

"Lavender, please..." Parvati whispered. But the still smiling Lavender simply lifted her wand higher, the action so much like that of a robotic doll that Ginny half-expected the creaking of mechanics as she did so. Parvati barely had time to duck before the first curse was fired.

Ron abruptly came back to his senses; dodging a curse from Fred, he seized Parvati's shoulders and dragged her out of the line of fire.

"Come on!" Draco yelled, and he led the others back down the path, while Fred and Lavender followed, firing curse after curse, their smiles still fixed creepily in place, advancing slowly like a pair of possessed puppets.

"What are they?" screamed Ginny.

"I don't know," Draco replied, "but I've seen it before. Death Eaters, controlling the dead like zombies."

"It's sick," Ginny hissed furiously, dodging a curse thrown by Fred and powering forwards.

Narrowly avoiding a jet of green light, Draco turned mid-run and shot back at Lavender, who was forced backwards when the spell brushed her shoulder, weakened.

"What do you think you're doing?" Parvati shrieked at him.

"Patil, they're not who you think they are!" Draco shouted in a tone of anger and exasperation, "and in case you haven't noticed, they're trying to kill us!"

"That's still my brother!" Ron yelled as he ducked to avoid a spell from Fred.

"No it isn't, Ron!" Ginny insisted, and she, too, flung a curse over her shoulder. It hit Fred directly with a muffled thump, and he crumpled to the ground.

"Ginny!" Ron cried, looking furious.

"I'm sorry, Ron, but that isn't our brother," Ginny said, "he's long gone." She turned and aimed a final curse at Lavender, who collapsed just as Fred had.

They all came to a halt, their breathing rasping and heavy.

"Is everyone okay?" Ginny asked.

There were nods and murmurs from the boys, but Parvati said nothing. Her face streaked with tears and her lip trembling, she turned and walked slowly to the fallen figures of Fred and Lavender.

"Careful," Ginny warned, but Parvati was already being cautious, her wand held aloft and her steps small and uncertain.

"They'll most likely reawaken in an hour," Draco informed them, running a hand through his platinum hair. "Their bodies are in the Death Eater's control... We can't stop them completely."

"They took dead people," Ron said in a hushed and trembling voice, "and manipulated them to attack us. Our own friends' and family's bodies." He swore and kicked the wall, turning away from the others.

"You don't know a counter-curse then?" Ginny asked Draco.

He arched an eyebrow. "You're asking for my help now?"

"Listen here," she hissed, jabbing his chest with her wand, "you may have redeemed yourself enough to stop me killing you, but I'm not entirely convinced. You should be trying to help me as much as possible if you want to live. I've just been attacked by my dead brother, so don't even think about picking a fight with me right now, because you most certainly won't come out on top."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "I have been helping, Weasley. That's what you call it, you know, when someone saves your brother's life and gives you information to help you survive."

"You're just a coward," Ginny spat, "as soon as your old Death Eater mates arrive, you'll be hiding behind them while they kill us. You wouldn't know the right thing if it stared you in the face."

She made to turn away, but Draco seized her wrist in a vice-like grip and spun her back to face him. There was a sudden fire in his steel eyes. "Don't talk about things you don't understand. You wouldn't know for a moment what it was like with them, with him. You wouldn't know what it's like, being tortured and threatened, the Dark Mark burned on your arm while you scream for-"

"I was possessed by Voldemort himself," Ginny hissed, "he was inside my mind, controlling me, making me hurt people I love, write on the walls in blood, release a monster into the school my friends and family lived in. So yes: I know what it's like being at the mercy of him. But I also know what it's like to try and fight to do the right thing, and you know what? I did it. I realised what he was doing and I did my best to defeat him. What did you do? Worship his cruelty and do his bidding and put everyone's lives at risks. You're a coward, Draco Malfoy, nothing more."

For a moment it looked like he might hex her; his hand shook around the handle of his wand and his face contorted. But then the storm in his eyes died, and, with a disgusted snort, he shouldered past her and walked away.


End file.
